Road Tripping
by Noelle Adams
Publication Date: July 7, 2014
Synopsis:
Ethan was Ashley’s secret crush, until he became an asshole. Asshole is too good a word for him. It’s bad enough that he stopped talking to her brother, who was his best friend since preschool. It’s even worse that he went wild and got involved with criminal types. But the worst thing of all is the way he trapped her on this ridiculous road trip. That’s what it is. Ridiculous. It just isn’t normal for a girl to get dragged from Virginia to South Dakota in a stolen car with just $1000 in cash. With Ethan Moore, who is way too hot and way too infuriating to be tolerated. But she’s stuck with him on a trip that is taking way longer than it should, sharing cheap hotel rooms, destroying cars, and eluding bad guys. Yep. There are bad guys chasing them. Even worse guys than Ethan, and that’s saying a lot. Plus, she’s having trouble keeping her hands off Ethan. In fact, she’s falling for him hard—when she isn’t wanting to wring his neck. So, for two crazy weeks, her pride, her heart, and her life are all threatened. Ashley isn’t sure which she’ll lose first.
Ethan was Ashley’s secret crush, until he became an asshole. Asshole is too good a word for him. It’s bad enough that he stopped talking to her brother, who was his best friend since preschool. It’s even worse that he went wild and got involved with criminal types. But the worst thing of all is the way he trapped her on this ridiculous road trip. That’s what it is. Ridiculous. It just isn’t normal for a girl to get dragged from Virginia to South Dakota in a stolen car with just $1000 in cash. With Ethan Moore, who is way too hot and way too infuriating to be tolerated. But she’s stuck with him on a trip that is taking way longer than it should, sharing cheap hotel rooms, destroying cars, and eluding bad guys. Yep. There are bad guys chasing them. Even worse guys than Ethan, and that’s saying a lot. Plus, she’s having trouble keeping her hands off Ethan. In fact, she’s falling for him hard—when she isn’t wanting to wring his neck. So, for two crazy weeks, her pride, her heart, and her life are all threatened. Ashley isn’t sure which she’ll lose first.
Excerpt:
As she picked up a basket from the
side of the entrance and walked through the aisles, picking up essentials like
milk, Coke, and chocolate, she couldn’t help but remember the years Ethan had
been like part of her family, ever since he and Mark had become friends in
elementary school. He’d played games with them in the back yard and come over
for dinner regularly. She’d horned in on more of their fishing trips than she
could remember.
She wasn’t sure what had happened to
him in the last two years, and it really hurt again when she thought about it.
She was standing in front of the one
small shelving unit in the shop with pantry items, trying to remember if her
parents had enough coffee, when a voice came from behind her, “You shouldn’t
leave your car unattended.”
She whirled around and scowled at
Ethan. “If you ever decide you’re going to obey all the rules, then you can
start bossing me about them.”
“Seriously. What if the pump doesn’t
click off when it’s full? You’d have gas all over the ground and you’d have to
pay for it. Or Miss Horner would. That’s her truck, isn’t it?”
She just rolled her eyes and grabbed
some coffee. If her parents already had some, it wouldn’t matter. They could
always use some more.
She wasn’t going to risk being out
of coffee.
“Are your folks back in town yet?”
he asked, following her to the next aisle. He had a bottle of water in his
hand—which he’d obviously come in here to buy—so he must just be trying to
annoy her now.
She wasn’t surprised he knew they’d
been gone. Everyone knew everyone else’s business in this town. “Not yet.
They’re driving home after visiting Mark. He used to be your friend. Remember?”
“You know, it might be smart not to
draw conclusions before you know all the facts.” He sounded cool, almost
offended. “Mark was my friend. But I thought you were too.”
She turned on him, practically
gnashing her teeth in her outrage, “And what facts don’t I have now that would
help me to draw different conclusions? If we’re not friends anymore, then you
have no one but yourself to blame.”
She realized she was getting too
upset, so she walked away from him again. She didn’t need this. He upset her
too much. She was going to have a secure future without any mess or heartbreak.
And Ethan always, only led to mess
and heartbreak.
She was still stewing—hurt and angry
and indignant—as she paid for her stuff and brought the bag back to Miss
Horner’s truck.
The gas pump had stopped and hadn’t
overflowed, so she turned the cap and pulled out her purse, setting it on the
hood of the pickup so she could put her change back in her wallet.
And, damn it, there was Ethan again.
“Ashley,” he was saying, “I don’t
know what you’ve heard, but I don’t think it’s as—“
He never finished his sentence.
His eyes darted over her shoulder,
and, before Ashley knew what was happening, he had slammed into her from the
side, pushing her down to the pavement in a move that scratched up her palms
and knees. Shocked and winded, she stared up at Ethan, who was pretty much on
top of her now.
She started to ask what was going on
and request that he get off her, but he interrupted by hissing, “Quiet.”
Recognizing real urgency in his
voice, Ashley shut up and waited, her heart pounding and her breath uneven.
Then there was a gunshot. Or what
sounded like a gunshot.
When she turned her head, she saw
that one of Ethan’s truck tires had been blown.
After another second, Ethan ordered,
“Get in.” He hauled her to her feet, grabbed her arm bruisingly, and dragged
her into Miss Horner’s truck, pushing her over into the passenger side and
taking the driver’s side himself. Ashley didn’t pull away. Not that she had
much choice. She could never have freed herself from Ethan’s powerful grip.
She was terrified, although she did
spare a quick thought for her purse, which was still on the hood of the truck.
Review:
★★★★ stars
There was a lot in this book that I liked. I loved the chemistry between Ethan and Ashley. I mean it was great to see them try to out do each other with the zingers. I liked the premise of the book, with two feuding former crushes and some intrigue to throw them in close quarters. I also liked how quickly the story developed and then maintained that fast pace.
Here's what didn't work for me. I was a little confused as to why the friendship between Ethan and his best friend had devolved to the point they no longer spoke and why all the burden fell on Ethan. It was explained, but it didn't quite sit right with me.
I'm not new to Noelle Adams's books, so I know to expect a good story that'll keep me in my seat and turning pages. This is the first time I can recall one of her books having a suspense element to them and it was done very well. I liked how the suspense and relationship between Ethan and Ashley was well balanced. Every book seems to be getting better and fresher. I can't wait to see what Noelle treats us to next.
*A copy was provided by the author in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
About the Author:
Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel. She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
Noelle handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel. She loves travel, art, history, and ice cream. After spending far too many years of her life in graduate school, she has decided to reorient her priorities and focus on writing contemporary romances.
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